Blood Red
by katesshadow
Summary: Brennan gets kidnapped, by someone from her past, someone she's been trying to forget since she was 17.
1. Chapter 1

Blood dripping down over her eyes covering her vision, was the last thing she saw before passing out.

When she came to, all she could hear was her blood rushing in her ears and her laboured breathing. Her upper torso and head were pounding with pain, with every breath she took.

Confused she tried to open her eyes to check her surroundings, but found there was only blackness. She went to roll over, but found she was bound by chains around her waist, feet and wrists.

_What happened?_ She tried to wrack her brain for any remnants of memory, before she must have passed out. Her pulse and breathing started to race, as she realised she couldn't remember anything.

_Calm down Brennan. _She told herself. Trying to force anything doesn't help.

She felt a foam mattress underneath her, as her hands felt the area around her sides. Raising her hands to her face, she remembered the restraints as they yanked her hands back to the ground. She tried to open her eyes again. It felt like such a burden to lift her eyelids. She still could only see blackness. Her eyelashes rasped against something over her eyes. A blindfold, she assumed.

_Listen, Brennan._ _Are there any sounds, anything distinguishable?_

She held her breath, as she tried to listen for anything. Is that water dripping in a sink? No, it was definitely dripping onto concrete. A truck driving past, outside whatever kind of place she was being held in. More traffic. Her head started to pound heavily with the effort of straining to hear anything over the sound of her heart pounding in her ears.

_Work through it. Pretend your head is fine. Is there anyone else here? Is the person that took me still here?_

Her breath left her chest in a rush when she realised that there was nothing else to be heard. As far as she could tell there was no one here with her, she thought as she passed out into delicious unconsciousness.

-- -- --

Gentle pushing at her shoulder woke Brennan up. "Bones, hey Bones. It's time to wake up."

Brennan groaned, as her head still pounded. "Booth?" She asked groggily.

She tried to move, and then as the pain registered, she remembered what happened. She tested out her hands and found they were still bound.

"Who's Booth, Tempe? I'm the only one that calls you Bones; have you let someone else call you by my nickname for you?" The voice said sweetly, so closely to her, she could feel his breath on her neck and face.

Confused, then as a bolt of fear swept over her, she rasped, "Matt?"

_No, it couldn't be... He's nowhere near here... Is he?_

She felt a hand smooth down her hair and trail down to trace her jaw line. "Wow, now that you're a big shot and all, I'm surprised you remember my name. So who is this Booth guy? Does he call you Bones too?" His tone hit her like a jealous lovers.

_How did he find me, after all these years? He'd be able to find out where I worked, sure. But everything else has been kept private. Security is high at work... Though... _

"Matt, where am I? Why have you got me strapped down? What do you want from me?" Her voice sounded steady, but hitched. She was trying to sound calmer than she actually was.

"I've missed you is all. I'm sorry Bones, I didn't mean to hurt you, but you fought so hard, so I had to hit you. I'm sorry baby girl." His voice dripped with concern, as she felt his lips graze her temple. "You didn't reply to my letters or calls, so I had to follow you home. Same old you though, don't do anything without a fight." He chuckled, as if they were going over good old memories.

"I'm going to remove your blindfold, so be gentle ok. Your eye is pretty banged up." He lifted her blindfold off her face gently.

She tried to open her eyes, but found one would open the whole way. Then she remembered the blood. Brennan figured, by the pain and the swelling she could feel, her eye lid may have been split open. Slowly she looked around her surroundings. She was in a warehouse or something similar. Then she saw the face of a boy, now man, she'd been trying to forget since she was 17.

-- -- --

"Sweetie, if I have to call you one more time and have to speak to your machine again, I'm coming over to your place and dragging your ass in here myself! If you're there with someone or sick, let me know!" Angela huffed, as she hung up. "This isn't like her. She's never late. Well there was that one time, but whatever. The point is she isn't answering her phone, and its 11am." She said worriedly to Zack.

"Maybe she's on her way in. Or maybe she's taking a personal day." Zack tried to rationalize. "Either way, you worrying about her isn't helping this case get solved. That, she wouldn't be impressed with."

Angela rang Brennan's number again. Voicemail... Again. "That's it! I'm on my way over, Brennan."

-- -- --

"Ohh yeah, Ohh yeah." The Entourage theme song started playing in Booth's pocket, before he answered his phone. "Booth." He said around a mouthful of chocolate.

"Booth, I need you here now." Angela said with a hitch in her voice.

"What's wrong?" Booth frowned, when he heard the panic in Angela's voice.

"I'm, uh, at Brennan's. She wasn't answering her phone all morning, so I came over to see if she was ok. She's not here. Her place looks like someone's ransacked it, there's blood on the 

dining table, and she's not here. She's not here Booth! What do I do?" All the thoughts rushing around in her mind, she had immediately thought the worst.

"Just calm down, I'll be there in 5 minutes, ok Ange? Just stay there, I'll be right there." His voice sounded tense, even to him.

_There'll be nothing to worry about. I bet this is just a misunderstanding. _Booth thought, trying to talk away the concerns building in his head.

"Bones, you'd better not have done anything stupid." Booth thought out loud, as he grabbed his keys off the desk.

-- -- --

"Ho..w..." Brennan croaked out, before coughing to clear her throat. "How did you get here Matt?"

"Like everyone else Tempe. I took the bus. Then I hired a car." His expression changed to that of a dejected child, "Aren't you happy to see me? I've missed you T." He said trailing his fingers down her arm.

Her body stiffened at the unwanted touch. She had spent the past 13yrs trying to forget anything to do with her past, and this was one person she did not want to remember.

"Why don't you have anything to say? That's not like _my_ Temperance. What has D.C done to you, my lovely one?"

She looked up and saw what looked like actual worry in his eyes. His forehead creased with anxiety.

She looked him in the eye and said defiantly, "D.C has done nothing to me. D.C saved me. My job saved me. Getting away from you saved me."

A fear started churning deep in her stomach, as he watched his eyes turned dark. She remembered this look all too well. That's when she realised her mistake.

"Finally, a reaction... Maybe not the one I was hoping for, but still. You'll re-learn."

His hand covered her mouth and nose. Brennan started to struggle against his hand, shaking her head from side to side, as the chemical smell burned its way down her nostrils and her eyes watered from the chemicals being so close.

Suddenly she went limp.

Matt carefully placed a blanket over her to keep her warm, and then sat down at his computer to look up the people she worked with. Hoping to find this Booth guy, who it seemed, was taking _his_ Bones, from him.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry for the delay. It's been a crazy week. Hope you enjoy :D**

* * *

She opened her eyes and saw nothing. She raised her hand right in front of her face, and tried to focus on it, but saw nothing but complete blackness.

She stood up and looked around. "Hello...?" She croaked out. "Is anyone else here?"

Then she felt a hand take hold of her wrist. The grasp was gentle, almost caressing.

"I'm here baby. I told you I'd always be there for you." Brennan turned towards the voice. It sounded familiar, yet she couldn't place it.

Instinct was telling her to be wary. She started to pull her hand away from the unknown grasp, but found as soon as she pulled, the grip got tighter. She felt herself starting to panic. Her heart started to beat harder in her chest. Her breath coming in short huffs. Logic was telling her to calm herself down, but her body wasn't being a willing participant.

"I have to get out of here – let me go!" She heard herself yell, at the unknown person.

She felt another hand snake around her waist and take hold of her. She started to struggle in vain to get away.

"I'm keeping you here for your own good, don't you know that? I love you, you know I do, just like I know you love me. You tell me you do, all the time."

"I don't tell anyone I love them! I don't know who you are!" The more she struggled, the more vice-like the grip got. "I can't breathe." She managed to get out.

"Then all you have to do is stop fighting me. Let me look after you, like I used to." The voice reasoned.

"I... I don't need anyone to look after me. Please, I need to go." She whimpered. At this point her body was screaming for her to go. Her chest aching with the effort from struggling against him.

"You do Tempe, you just can't see it. I'll keep you safe, keep you hidden from the world, so no one can ever hurt you again." He reasoned.

"But you're hurting me!" She screamed and started thrashing herself around. Kicking and throwing her free arm at anything she could.

All of a sudden the grip was gone. For a second she was momentarily taken aback, then turned and saw an open door with a faint light inside, and ran towards it.

The door seemed to keep getting further away. She stopped and looked behind her, then towards the door again. A light flickered on above her. She saw a hallway to her left, it had doors running all the way down. One of them had to lead out right?

She ran down to the first and tried. Locked. She kicked at it to see if it gave way. Giving up, she ran to the next door. Locked, again. She kept glancing over her shoulder to see if anyone was there. Her breathing started to pick up again. She was starting to panic. She heard a soft click of a door shutting behind her, and whirled around to see a faceless man in front of her.

She somehow knew this was the same man who had grabbed her before. She could feel the anger simmering inside him, she turned and ran. Then he stepped out in front of her again. This time he had eyes. His eyes were black and hollow. They were dead.

_Like the rest of him. _

Her eyes darted to the side, to see the best escape route, but he grabbed her around her waist and whispered "You can't escape me Temperance. Don't bother trying. We are connected."

She started screaming and thrashing to get away.

"Don't fight me. You won't win. Remember last time you tried?" He growled.

He started shaking her. Gently at first, then harder.

"Temperance? Tempe, stop struggling!"

With a start Brennan woke up to see Matt holding her down. Disorientated she looked around her surroundings.

"Shh, it's ok now. You were having a nightmare." Matt soothed, smoothing her hair back from her face..

_You! You were the faceless man! _The realisation hit her after hearing his voice. She looked down to see the chains still about her waist.

"You're chained for your own safety, my love." He said seeing her looking down at the chains hopelessly.

She looked up at him defiantly. "You know what would be in my best interest? Getting out of here, and away from you. So if you're so concerned about my safety, how about unlocking these chains and letting me walk out of here."

He looked down at her, sighing, like a parent would a child that was acting out in a tantrum.

Then he settled back down at his computer again, as Brennan started testing the durability of the chains holding her down.

"So, this Booth guy... Seems as if you two are pretty comfy with each other. A military guy, now FBI. Wow Bones, when you trade up, you really trade up. No more builder types for you huh?" He said, still focused on his computer. Brennan didn't know if she was mean to answer the question or not.

She decided on the first option and murmured, "Booth and I are partners."

He turned around to look at her, "Right. Like we were?" His words came out, dripping with jealousy.

Feeling those dead eyes from her dream roaming over her, she shivered. She hated when he looked at her.

"What, no answer?" He demanded. "You know we were always meant to be together. You said that, remember?"

"That was before I knew the real you." She said flatly.

_Before anyone knew what you were really like._

--

_"Hey Bones, you coming out with us or what?"_

_Every time I heard that voice I felt a flutter of excitement. A feeling of belonging. I loved my new nickname._

_"Yep, coming! Give me two secs." I yelled out the window, as I shut my maths text book, grabbed my shoes and ran out my bedroom door, toward the voice that had held something over me for the past few weeks._

_"Finally, anyone would think you're a girl or something." Matt said playfully._

_"I am a girl..." I looked down, confused and embarrassed. Matt laughed at me again._

_"It's a joke B." He said tipping my face up at him._

_"Oh."My cheeks felt like the sun was burning directly down on them._

_"Hey, Kaleb, you coming?" He called out to my foster brother._

_"Yeah, yeah." Grumbled Kaleb. _

_I'd been at this place for 4 weeks. The foster family we're actually really nice. Kaleb was a great foster brother, kind of reminded me of Russ, with his cool approach to life._

_Matt was Kaleb's best friend, if guys had best friends, that is. Matt was over all the time, and had taken to calling me Bones, he said I was nothing more than skin and bones. I didn't know if I liked it yet or not, but I liked the way it sounded out of his mouth. I had a crush, big time._

_"Catch up to us." Matt yelled over his shoulder, as he grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the car._

--

That's how it began, from that afternoon. I'd been given my first kiss. He was really my first everything. I had loved him to the point of killing me. My reasoning and logic hadn't even come into the equation.

I put up with behaviours I wouldn't even stand for these days.

I was 17, lonely, scared and naive. That's all I can put it down to.

But that was 13yrs ago. I'm not that girl anymore.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N - Sorry it's been a week, hope you like the next chapter! It's a long weekend this weekend, so hoping to get 2 more chapters done by next week. A huge thank you to BBLove (or aboveblues on LJ) for reading over this before I posted! You are awesome!**

**Comments are love people! **

-- --

Storming up the stairs, instead of waiting for the old crappy elevator, Booth was mulling over all the stupid excuses Brennan would give both he and Angela, when they found her, for not answering her phone.

"Oh, you know, Sully's back for a week, I slept over and we had coffee this morning, or I went out climbing a cliff, or a mountain or whatever." Booth said, talking to himself, walking down the corridor towards her door.

"No, no it's gonna be something like, Oh, well I went shopping at the mall." He mumbled as he walked into her apartment.

He looked down at Angela, sitting on the lounge fidgeting with the hem on her jacket.

"Finally! You said it would only take you 5 minutes, it took 12minutes and 37 seconds! It better have not been you that went shopping, cos I swear to God..." She said without taking a breath.

"Firstly, do you know how bad traffic is at this time of day? And, no, I didn't go shopping. I was trying to think of all the lame ass excuses Brennan will give us when we find her, for not letting anyone know where she is." He surveyed the room.

The dining table was off centre. Two of the chair had been tipped on their side, like someone had been chasing someone, and they were thrown in the pursuers way.

He could see the blood on the edge of the dining table, and the blood on the floor where someone had fallen.

Brennan's bag was still on the counter top in the kitchen. He walked over to see if anything had been taken.

"Everything's still in there." Angela supplied. "Everything except for her Jeffersonian pass, her cell phone and her keys, which she probably had on her. Even her purse is still in there. What are you thinking, Booth?" Angela looked at him expectantly. Like he somehow already had all the answers.

He ignored the question and walked into the other rooms of the house. The bedroom seemed fine. The bed had been made. A draw was slightly ajar, he went over and opened it. It was a bit messy...

"Going through her drawers is helpful to what end...? Other than the obvious to everyone but you two...?" Angela had her hands on her hips.

He took his hands away from the drawer like he'd been burned. "It was open, I was seeing if it had any bearing. It's a bit messy, but nothing obviously out of place."

"It's messy?" Angela said, frowning.

"Yeah, that's what I said. All girls are messy." Booth sighed, starting to head towards the bathroom. All women were messy, as far as he was concerned.

"Uh, that's a big obvious, Booth. Brennan doesn't do messy. Everything is always in place." She headed over to the drawers and opened a few. "Check the other drawers if you don't believe me."

He looked down and saw everything in place. Sweaters on one side, track pants on the other. Frowning, Booth looked back to the menacing draw that had all the shirts askew.

Plucking his phone out of his pocket, he dialled Cullen's number.

-- --

Brennan looked around her, trying to gather her bearings. There was no insignia on anything in the warehouse. Nothing that she could use to figure out where she was.

There was a window that had been blacked out, so that was no help yet.

Turning her head, she realised Matt wasn't here. She listened to see if he was in one of the back rooms.

Sitting up, Brennan looked over at his laptop, which he'd left on.

_How do I make my way over there? Think Brennan, think!_

She looked down at the lock that was holding her chains together. Surveying the floor around her, she tried to spot anything that would help her pick the locks.

Remembering that she had put bobby pins in her hair... was it this morning? She lifted her hands to run her fingers through her hair, only to have them be yanked back down by the chains.

"Damn it." Brennan cursed out loud. "Damn you, damn you, damn you." She said to the chains.

She decided to try shaking her head, to see if any would fall out. One fell down and clung to the end of a strand of her hair. She leaned her head towards her knees, to the point where she could reach the hanging bobby pin. The pin fell through her fingers, bounced off the mattress and onto the concrete floor next to her bed.

Hearing the crunch of gravel, then a car coming to a stop, she lay back down and feigned sleep.

-- --

"I'm looking for Agent Booth." The UPS guys stated, back in the Jeffersonian lab.

The team were on the platform, considering all the details they had on Brennan's disappearance.

"Yeah, that's me." Booth said warily. Why would anyone be sending him anything here?

He signed for the package and opened it to find a U-drive and a note;

"Booth, thought you may enjoy some light viewing. If you can figure out who I am, how we're connected, you'll most likely figure out where she is. We're going to be here for another 10hrs, after that I prove to her she's better off with me, because you're too stupid to save her.

MR"

Booth strode to Brennan's office without a word to the team.

"Hey, hey! Booth, what's going on?" Cam called after him. "Sure, ignore me, I mean I'm not the boss around here or anything."

He turned on her computer and punched in her password. He slipped the U-drive in and watched as he the inside of Brennan's apartment flashed up on the screen before him.

Booth watched as she walked into her apartment, put her bag down on the table, check her answering machine messages and letters. Taking off her jacket and placing it over the back of the couch.

Watching as she suddenly looks up at something towards her bedroom. Frowning, and then yelling. Backing towards the couch. An unknown man advancing on her. The bastard looking up at the camera quickly with a smirk. It was so quick you wouldn't have even noticed, if it hadn't have been for the letter that came with the U-drive.

Booth was gripping the armrests of the chair so hard that his knuckles were white with the effort. His jaw clenched, as he watched his partner run around the couch, then the dining table, throwing a chair in her attackers' way. Then, the bastard diving for her and catching her around the waist. Brennan hitting the front of her head on the table on the way down. The guy getting up. Rolling her over, then checking her pulse. Smoothing her hair away from her face, almost like a caress. Getting a washcloth and dampening it, tending to Bones' bleeding forehead.

He sees Brennan starting to stir, and try to push the guy away. The guy gets something... a needle of some sort, out of his pocket, taking the cap off and jabbing it into Brennan's neck. Bones' going still again.

The guy going through her bag. Getting her phone, pass and keys out of her bag. Booth watches as he gets some cash out of her purse, then puts the purse back into her bag.

Booth's hands are now cramping with the force of his grip on the chair.

Disappearing for a few seconds. Coming back with a bag thrown over his shoulder, full of clothes, maybe? Picking Bones up gently, resting her head against his shoulder. Walking up towards the camera, smirking cockily, then ending the transmission.

Unclamping one hand from the arm rest, he slammed it down on the table. "Goddamned bastard. Bones' had better get to you before I do, you bastard otherwise God help me." He growled vehemently.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N - I am so sorry it has taken me as to post a new chapter, the real world has kept me away from writing. Working 13/14 days a fortnight will also do it...

I promise to post the next chapter within week! Enjoy!

-- -- --

Keeping herself completely still, Brennan concentrated on Matt's footsteps as he walked towards her.

She heard a soft thud, as he dropped some bags onto the table that was off to her right. Heard him walk quietly over to where she was laying, then a crack in his knees sounded as he crouched next to her and swept some hair off her face. Even though her first instinct was to flinch away from his touch, summoning up all effort and self constraint within her, she laid there, still feigning sleep.

He ran his hand down her arm so softly, she almost didn't feel it. Then her stomach muscles quivered involuntarily as she felt his hand resting on her abdomen. Her eyes flew open, as the hem of her shirt was pulled up slightly to bare the top of her hips.

"What do you think you are doing?" She yelled at him, incensed that he had thought he had the right to be doing this.

He looked down at her with strained smile, and thumbed the top of her left hip, as she squirmed away from him. "Just checking to see if you still had your tattoo. I was thinking about the day we got them done on the drive here. Looks like you really have tried to erase me."

He pulled his shirt up and bared the "T" that was tattooed there so many years ago. "I can't believe you had yours removed. Not that it's really gone, it's just a white scar of an "M" now. You can't get rid of me that easily. Now that we're back here, we'll be like we used to."

"I had that removed as soon as I could afford it. You were a temporary lapse of judgement. What used to be "yours" wasn't ever actually yours at all. I will not be branded or owned by you or anyone." Brennan said defiantly. Her brow furrowed as she thought about what he said. "What do you mean by here? You haven't brought me back to Mullins, have you?" She asked incredulously.

Her mind started racing. Do the Coopers still live here? Do they know Matt's back in town? Does anyone?

Oh God, I'm in South Carolina and at least 6 hours away from DC.

Which means I've been gone at least 12hrs.

Brennan snapped back to reality, "...Don't worry, no one knows we're here." Matt ended with. "And unless your "Partner" can figure out where we are from the package I sent, no one will ever know we were here."

"What package?"

"A little note, and a video of our little reunion at your place." He beamed over at her. "I'll prove to you I'm smarter than him."

"You don't need to prove anything. I know Booth will find me. Even if we aren't here. He's that good. I have no doubts in Booth's abilities. There is no competition." Brennan felt a rush of exhilaration at squashing his little game, until he turned back to look at her.

His face red, and eyes dark, he crouched down and grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her hard. "I will win this game Temperance. I will win, and show you that you are mine. You will not be little me. Do you hear me?" Matt growled

"No, you won't win. Booth will find..." Brennan was cut off with a quick, hard slap to her face.

This she remembered all too well. She remembered the first ever slap, stinging her cheek like a hundred bees stinging her at the same time.

Brennan, taken aback, blinked back the tears that had betrayed her running down her cheeks and continued, "That will not subdue me anymore! You can't control me anymore." She watched Matt as he calmly walked to the table and got a hypodermic out of a bag, already filled; he walked back and grabbed her arm. She struggled against his grip on her arm.

"The only reason that I'm in these chains is because you know you couldn't keep me here without them." The needle pierced Brennan's skin, she felt a warmth, as the liquid hit her veins. She wasn't finished yet though, "You're not a man. A real man would never hit a woman. I swear to God, when I am out of these chains..."

He watched as she struggled to keep her eyes open. She was still trying to finish what she was saying.

"That's my girl, sleep now, you'll be better when you wake." He thought of that song by Aqualung "When you wake, I'll be the first thing you see. Then you'll realise you're in love with me." He hummed the tune, as he turned back to his computer.

-- --

"Ok, so we know this guy is Matthew Riley. He was in Bennettsville Federal Corrections for the murder of Kaleb Cooper." Booth read off the sheet the FBI had faxed over to him.

"Could Dr Brennan have worked on the case?" Zack pondered.

"Unless she was already working as a forensic anthropologist at the age of 16 or 17, no. It was back in 1995, evidence was all over the body. He was put away pretty much straight away. So any other connection people? Come on squints! We have 7hrs until they move." Booth shot at the group staring at him. "Angela? You know her best."

"She's never mentioned either of those names to me before. So she would have been 16, or 17. He's a few years older right? Maybe one of them was friends with Russ?" Her forehead wrinkled as she thought. "But I'm fairly sure they grew up here, in Virginia, not South Carolina. Where did the murder happen?"

Booth flipped the page, "Uhh, Mullins, SC. Apparently Riley and Cooper were buddies."

"What about when she was in foster care?" Cam suggested.

"Actually now that you mention it, I think she did stay with a family that moved interstate when she was with them. It was her last family before she got out of the system." Angela said excitedly. Angela jumped out of her seat and yelled, "Booth! NOW! Get the information, so we can go get Brennan."

Booth was already out the door and talking to the FBI.

-- --

Walking up to the door, I tested the handle and was surprised to find it unlocked. The door opened, and I saw Kaleb sitting at the table, picking at a splinter in the wood.

Confused, I looked at my surroundings. "Kaleb? Is that you?"

He looked up and smiled at me. "Of course it's me Bren. Who else would be here?" He laughed.

Shaking my head I answered dumbly, "But it can't be you. You're dead. I saw you die."

"Don't be silly Bren. You and your imagination! How can I be dead if I'm right here?" He went back to picking at the table.

I walked over to the table and touched his cheek. It was ice cold. But yet he sat there smiling up at me. I was trying to understand the scene in front of me, when it changed all of a sudden.

We were back in the barn, me with Kaleb's head on my lap, my hands on his face, telling him over and over it'll be okay.

Matt pacing the length of the barn, screaming at me that this was my fault.

Screaming that if I had just kept my mouth shut and done what I was told this wouldn't have happened.

Then I was at school, sitting on the grass by myself. No one wanted to know who I was. I was just the new foster kid. Even though I had tried and done everything possible to make them like me. When that failed, I decided that school work was the best way to occupy myself.

Then Matt had sat next to me. Took an interest in me. Told me he was a foster kid too.

Then I saw our first kiss. Getting our tattoos, which he said was like the list of foster families we had. We were our own family, but for life he said. Then the first time he squeezed my wrist that little bit too hard. The emotional blackmail.

Then I was back to the barn with Kaleb, trying to take me away. Kaleb standing up to Matt, even though they were best friends.

I'm standing there in the middle, feeling helpless, but knowing I have to leave.

Matt appealing to me. Telling me he needs me. He can't live without me. That I can't live without him. That no one will understand me like he does.

Then there's me, hesitantly telling him that I have to leave. That I don't love him. That he doesn't love me.

He can't, because even at 17 I knew that's not how you treat the person you love.

Kaleb's arm around my waist pulling me away.

Matt, screaming that he's going to kill both of us if we leave. Pulling out a gun and shooting into the air above us.

Kaleb throwing me out of the way, as Matt aimed the gun at me and took a shot.

Then I'm back on the floor, Kaleb's head resting in my lap, as I call an ambulance, reassuring him it would be okay. His face so cold. Blood pooling out of a wound in his abdomen. Blood all over my hands, everywhere. All I could see was the blood.

Trying to stop the bleeding by applying pressure, even though I couldn't see through the tears cluttering my eyes.

Brennan woke up with tears streaming down her face.

She looked around to see Matt sleeping on a mattress on the floor next to her. The old fury, the need for revenge she still had conquered, simmered in her, as she watched him sleep peacefully after all he had done.

How can you sleep so easily, you bastard?

She looked down at the hair pin that was still on the floor. Looked across at Matt, as he snored, then settled back into sleep again.

She shifted upward slowly, to see how much noise the chains would make. Matt still slept peacefully, so she shifted towards the side of the mattress.

She reached out as far as the chains would let her and found she was about an inch away from the pin.

Huffing silently, she manoeuvred her body further towards the pin, stretched her arm out, and this time her fingertips brushed the pin.

Stretching out again, her fingers found the top of the pin. She pressed down on it and started to pull the pin back towards her.

She bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from groaning in frustration, as the pin escaped her limited grasp and moved back to where is was to begin with.

Brennan froze completely as Matt grumbled in his sleep, then flipped over.

She held her breath and stayed completely still for another 30 seconds, before trying again.

Getting the pin in between her fingers, she fought the urge to laugh. With the pin clasped in her hands protectively, she felt a rush of relief, even if she wasn't free just yet.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N - This is just a short one, but I will be endeavoring to add another chapter by Sunday night.**

--

Pulling at the tie, that seemed to be choking him, Booth looked across at Angela, sitting in front of him, who was worrying at her bottom lip as they flew towards Marion Airport, SC.

"Don't worry, she'll be fine. Bones is always fine. She'll kick the bastards ass, before he touches her. Believe me, she will be all over him before he does anything. Then we'll be there and be all BOOM!" Lifting his hands up with his hands cocked like guns. "Yeah tough guy, take on someone your own size..." His brow furrowed and he looked to the seat next to him, as if someone was there, "No offense, Bones. I know you can take care of yourself..." He stopped talking as Angela leaned over and placed her hand on his forearm.

"It's ok, she'll be fine. I know it." Angela said definitively, biting at her nails.

Hodgins grabbed Angela's hand away from her mouth. "I'm saving your fingers from imminent death." He blanched as he realized what he said, "Sorry."

Booth looked back at the small team he had together to swarm the barn where Cooper had been killed.

He pulled the handkerchief he had in his pocket out, and wiped the sweat that was beading on his forehead off.

If they weren't at the barn on Ed Smith St, they had the back up of the warehouse that used to belong to his foster parents on Janie Court. They had owned a place in town, but he figured Riley would want a secluded place.

Checking his watch for the umpteenth time in the last half an hour, he pulled at his tie again, as he realized that only 10 minutes had passed.

His thoughts ran to all the things that could happen in 10 minutes.

A gun could go off.

Someone could be choked.

A heart could stop beating.

Someone could be moved... Or a body could be moved.

Bones could get away from where she is being held.

-- -- --

Biting her lip in concentration, and let out the breath she was holding, feeling excitement start to stir at the click she heard in the lock.

Only to have the feeling plummet as the pin slipped out of the lock again.

_Why won't you just unlock! This looks so much easier on movies._

A shrill beeping shocked her from her current assignment. Brennan looked around and found the offending wristwatch, next to the mattress Matt was lying on.

Groaning, he flipped, turned the wristwatch off and looked over at her sleepily.

"So... Are we feeling a bit more receptive?"

"I'm always receptive, I just don't always give the answer people are wanting." Brennan answered aiming for nonchalance. It had always unnerved him when they were young.

"Can you guess what that beeping meant?" He waggled his eyebrow expectantly.

She screwed her face up in feigned thought. "Hmm, that it was time for me walk out of here?"

He rolled into a sitting position and laughed, as if she had said the funniest thing in the world.

"I don't know what's so amusing about that. I think that's probably the best meaning for the alarm, for you anyway. Any other alternative doesn't really end well for you." She said, toying with the chains.

"Really? How do you figure that?" Still amused.

"Like I said before, as soon as I'm out of these chains you'll wish you never came looking for me again. Even if I don't get out of the chains on my own, Booth will be all over this place. He will figure out how we're connected. He knows my past in foster care. I'd be pretty worried if I were you." She slid her feet up behind her thighs, so her knees were in an upright position.

"The alarm means that in an hour we're moving." He smiled, and walked out the side door.

She looked at the chains around her waist. Followed them to the pole the chains were shackled to.

Brennan bit her lip in thought. _The pole doesn't look like it would give in easily._

_When we move, he's going to have to unlock them. More room to fight back as soon as the chains are off that pole. One good kick is all I need to get up and make a run for the front, she looked down at the chains on her feet. Okay, well maybe not a run..._

_Please hurry Booth._


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N : So this took a bit longer than I said. I only got to write last night, but I have Thursday off so planning on another chapter by then :D**

**Enjoy!!**

Chapter 6

Hearing the crunching of gravel, Brennan flattened her back against the pole, tightened her stomach muscles and launched herself into a sprint, until the chains yanked her backwards again.

Grunting, she looked back at the dented pole.

_Maybe one or two more and it'll give._

She flattened herself against the pole again, listened for any sounds of someone entering the barn, and launched herself forward one more time.

Yanked to a stop again, Brennan turned and tried to push herself backwards, hoping the pole would yield her way.

Feeling her back burning where the chains were pressed against, she cursed the wrist chains that had refused to be picked open.

Brennan turned and walked back to the pole. She stood and looked around the barn for anything that she could use to help her out of here.

_THINK!_

Hearing the creak of the wooden door swinging open, Brennan stood against the pole, preparing for a fight.

"Hey Michael, are you here?" The voice was deep, gravelly. Not a voice she knew.

"Hello? Is someone there? I'm in here! Hello?" Brennan's voice sounded frantic, even to her.

A tallish, stocky looking man came through the doorway, stopped and looked at her like she was some sort of alien.

A feeling of relief rushed over her and she slumped against the pole to the floor. "Oh, thank God someone's here!" She slowly stood, and looked over at him. "Not that I'm not grateful to see you but, instead of just standing there, do you want to maybe find something to help me get out of here before Riley gets back?"

He stood there and shook his head suddenly, as if to clear his thoughts. "Umm, yeah. Yeah." He looked around the room. "Give me a few seconds to find something... How did you get here? What's your name?"

She heard him going through cupboards, things being thrown around. "My name's Temperance. I'm not sure how I got here. I'm assuming Riley drove us here. Who's Michael?"

"Michael's the guy that owns this place." He walked back in with some sort of hand tool that she didn't recognise, they looked like huge clippers. He smiled over at her, "Don't worry, I'll have you out of here in a sec, lay down for me." He crouched beside her, as she laid back down on the mattress, and positioned the clippers between her stomach and the chains.

She watched as he put all his force into cutting one of the chains links.

With a loud snap the chain slithered away from her waist.

Brennan sat up and held her wrists up for the same treatment.

"Please be careful. I need both of these." She winced and shut her eyes for a brief moment when he laughed and positioned the clippers between her wrists.

Crack! Then hearing the chains clatter on the floor she breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at her saviour.

"We need to get out of here before Riley gets back. Thank you so much for turning up, and helping me out of those chains." She said already up and on her way over to the desk with the computer on it.

None of her possessions he had taken were here. "Where are we? Do you have a car...what was your name...?" She turned back to him.

"Nate. We're in Mullins, SC. Yes I have a car 'round front. What are you looking for?"

"Where in Mullins? My cell, pass for work and keys to my apartment. They're not here, so let's get out of here. I can call Booth from the Police station, unless you have a cell I can use." He shook his head, no. "Can you take me into town then?"

"Sure thing Temperance. Cars just out the front."

"Thank you Nate. I really appreciate it." She followed him through the barn and into the fresh air outside.

"Think nothing of it. Glad I came past when I did, I got to save a pretty woman. Not too many guys can say that."

He jumped into the old ford and started the engine, as she had a look around. They were on the outskirts of the town.

She jumped into the car, relieved that Matt hadn't come back before they had gotten out.

-- -- --

Feeling the thud and bouncing of the airplane wheels hitting the tarmac at Marion Airport, Booth started drumming his fingers against his thighs, to try and subdue the urge to jump out of his seat.

"Come on. How long does it take to land a plane." More drumming.

Angela unbuckled her belt and stood up. Got her bag out of the overhead compartment, only to drop everything out of it onto the aisle.

She started cramming everything into her bag. "Can't you get the cars to meet us here? Waiting for the plane to be taxied will take up precious time Booth!"

"You know you can leave everything on the plane right? It's not going anywhere and I doubt you'll need your makeup with you to go get Brennan." Hodgins said, stilling her movements with a gentle hand on hers.

Angela looked at Hodgins, back to her bag, then over at Booth, "But I may need..." She stopped at Booth's exaggerated sigh.

"What? A nail file? An eyelash curler? A paint brush?" Booth jumped in.

"Ok, fine. The bag stays." Angela laughed self consciously, then nodded. "Right, of course. Can we make the plane hurry though?"

Booth stood as the plane came to a halt and looked back at the team, "Guys are you ready?" Then, looking back at Angela and Hodgins, "Let's go get Bones."

-- -- --

Winding down the window as they headed into town, Brennan stuck her arm out and let it get carried by the cool wind.

_What would have happened if Nate hadn't have come along?_

_I would have rushed at Matt and kicked and fought. _

She shook her head to stop the thoughts, it was over now. Until the cops or Booth got to the barn anyway.

She decided on casual conversation, "So have you lived here your whole life, Nate?"

He nodded, "Yep, since I was born."

Frowning she looked over at him. He looked around the same age as her. If not, a few years older.

"So you know the Coopers?" She asked cautiously.

"Of course I know them. Everyone knows everyone in this town."

"So, you know who Matthew Riley is?"

"Yeah I know who he is. He was the guy who shot Kaleb." He stated as if it was just a storyline on a TV show, not something that actually happened to someone he knew.

"Is?" Brennan's gaze was focused on his reaction. Her jaw clenched, as unease started to coil in her stomach.

"Yeah, you know I knew him. Before he went to prison and all." Nate kept his eyes focused on the road.

Brennan looked around the cab of the car. "Right, right. Everyone knows or knew everyone."

_Ok, so he knows Matt. Which means he knows who I am. It didn't look like he was actually prepared to have seen me at the barn though. _

She placed her hands in her lap, and looked out the window. "So, Nate. Can we go to Gromley's corner shop before the Police Station? Does he still own it? I'd really like some water and something to eat."

The smile he shot her looked genuine. "Sure thing. Yeah, we could head there first. Food sounds good."

Brennan frowned, _Could I have interpreted what he said and his reactions incorrectly?_


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys! I  appreciate it! Enjoy!**

Brennan decided to test him. "Actually, you know my partner over at the FBI would be pretty worried by now. If he's not already here, he'd be on his way, so we should head to the Police Station first so I can call him. Let him know I'm okay."

Nate shifted in his seat, "Your partner is FBI? I thought you just worked in a lab and helped them out from time to time?"

Brennan frowned, going over their conversation in her head. "I never told you that." Her eyes narrowed, as she focused on Nate.

"I figured it out when you told me your name," he said, sounding deadpan, though she noticed his knuckles were white against the steering wheel.

"You figured out I worked in a lab and helped the FBI out from my first name? If I had told you my last name I might have believed you. But then you would have known my partner is FBI," she went on, still focused on him. "So either you already knew who I was, or you're brilliant with putting little bits of information together."

She watched as he clicked the window up button on her side, then the window lock, but Nate said nothing.

"So you know Riley. You know who I am..."

His eyes flicked over towards her. "Yeah, I know who you are."

"Through what happened with Riley, Cooper and I." She said as a statement. _Where else would he know me from?_

He shook his head, no. "Sort of, but not really."

She frowned, her mind racing at where else he could have known her from.

"So what happens now?"

His pressed his lips together, and his jaw clenched. "Well this isn't how the plan was mapped out, so we wing it from here." He pulled a handgun out of the waistband of his pants and lowered it down to his lap, pointing it directly at her.

"Well you really have two choices, winging it, as you say. Or take me to the Police station and let me out of here. As I already said to Riley, the second option would be the best for both of you." She watched as four black SUV's passed them, heading towards where they had just come from. She bit her lip, to stop herself trying to yell out of Nate's window. 

Until she worked out a plan, which involved a stationary vehicle, she deducted it was best to let him think she was co-operating.

--- -- ---

The wood around the lock on the door splintered, as Booth watched one of the guys kick it open.

"FBI!" Booth yelled, as they entered the old warehouse.

Before anyone could stop her, Angela rushed forward with a high pitched yell. "Brennan! Brennan, are you here?"

Booth took a few steps, grabbed Angela's wrist and yanked her behind him, as the FBI guys run through the warehouse. "What did I tell you? Stay in the car. That's what I said. Stay. In. The. Car. Why is that so hard for you squints to comprehend?"

She yanked her wrist back and jutted her chin. "She's my best friend. I need to know she's ok."

Booth sighed, "Yeah, I know. But remember the whole Brennan being kidnapped? Yeah, that guy is still out here somewhere. We don't need you jumping in before we've secured the area, and getting hurt."

Agent Simmons walked up to them. "Agent Booth, it's clear. No one's here. But it looks as if someone has been here quite recently. There are old chains on the floor with one of its links snapped, a mattress, dried blood..."

Booth strode past, with Angela hot on his heels, into the back room of the warehouse.

 He walked through the doorway, saw a desk off to his left against the wall with a computer on it. A computer savvy agent was already on it. 

A mattress was off to his right. Spotting the old blood on the mattress Booth fought the urge to grind down on his teeth.

He crouched down to check out the chains on the ground.

_Only one of them was snapped open. The others had been unlocked._

Booth vaguely heard Angela in the background stating something about the blood to him, but his thoughts were focused on the chains.

_Why would one be snapped if the others had been unlocked? Maybe Riley couldn't get the last one open?_

_Someone or something interrupted him, he needed to get out of here quickly, and didn't have the patience when the lock refused to open?_

_Maybe Bones had managed to get two sets open, but not the third? The third was attached to an old steel pole. He could see indentations on it. Had she tried to break it? Had she thrown all her weight into it to get the pole to break?_

_How had she managed to snap the last one? Had someone come and helped her out?_

_If that was the case, where was she now? And why hadn't she made contact yet?_

Booth stood and surveyed the room.

He walked over to the desk and found hypodermics on the desk. Some had been used, some were still full. "Do we know anything about these?" He barked. "Anyone?"

"Hodgins and I had just been discussing that, you didn't hear anything?" Angela placed a hand on his shoulder. "Booth?" He shook his head. "Ok, well one of the agents is taking one with him to see what it is. There's nothing here to give away what it is."

She watched as he shuffled a few things around on the desk. He opened a case on the desk and found her keys and Jeffersonian pass.

She noted Brennan's cell was still missing.

"Booth," He looked up and saw Angela bite at her lip, her chin trembled slightly, "She's not here. What do we do next?"

_No Angela, you will not break down now, _she admonished herself.

Booth gave Angela a stern look that told her not to cry.

_Angela! You will not break down on me now. I need you to be strong for me!_ He thought to himself.

"Now, we check the other places we know that Riley has some sort of connection to." Booth said, as he walked back towards the black SUV's.

"Call me if you find anything of use here." He threw over his shoulder as he hit the accept call button on his cell. "Yeah, Booth."

--- -- ---

Twisting her upper body towards the back seat floor, Brennan found that the steering wheel lock was just out of reach.

She'd misjudged the how much space she had, looking at her wrist which was clasped against the steering wheel with plastic hand ties.

She looked around the floor on the front seat, but saw nothing of use. She looked out the locked window, and tested the door handle again. _Damn kiddy lock._

Brennan scanned the isolated back of the general store.

_How did I let this happen? _Brennan thought.

_They came to a stop. He made a grab for her wrist. Brennan lashed out, punching at his head. He stopped for a moment. She made a play for the door. Found out about the damn kiddy lock, and he pulled the gun on Brennan again as he grabbed her wrist with his other hand and locks hers on the steering wheel. _

_How did I let this happen? Stupid, stupid Brennan. You're smarter than this... What would Booth be doing right now...?_

Then Brennan felt it, vibration against the front seat she was leaning on.

Vibration with steady rhythm to it. Two rapid bursts, followed by a quick break to the vibration. Then another two rapid bursts.

She pushed herself across the seat to look down the side of the drivers' side seat.

Brennan found herself looking down at a cell phone.

Grabbing it, Brennan scanned the lot around her again, her fingers already automatically dialling.

"...of use here. Yeah, Booth."

Brennan's heart pounding as she heard his voice. "Booth!"

"Bones? Where the hell are you?" The relief mixed with concern in Booth's voice made Brennan's eyes sting, as tears threatened.

Brennan heard Booth talking to someone in the background. "Yeah it's her, no I don't know..."

She heard the scuffling of the phone changing hands. Then, "Sweetie where are you? We're coming for you, I promise..."

More scuffling. Then, "Bones?"

Swallowing the lump forming in her throat, Brennan went on. "Booth, I was kidnapped by Matthew Riley. I don't know how long I've been here. He came to my place. Anyway, I had managed to pick the locks on my wrists and feet. I was working on the chains on my waist, when a guy called Nate came and helped me out of the warehouse, or so it seemed, but it turns out he's in on this with Riley. I don't know why or how, but he is. Now we're parked out the back of a corner store, he's gone inside and I'm locked to the steering wheel. I don't think he realised that his cell had fallen out of his pocket." Brennan finished and took a gulp of air.

"Listen to me, Bones. Where are you?" Booth said calmly, running a hand through his hair.

"I'm in Mullins, South Carolina." Brennan said matter of factly.

Booth sighed in frustration. "I'm in Mullins too. I meant where _in_ Mullins."

"The back of a corner store. I told you that already. Umm, off Main road... Hang on, I'm trying to see if I can see a road sign..." Booth heard her moving around. "Umm Buck St, I think it says. Yes, Buck St!" Brennan sounded triumphant, like she'd just solved a huge case.

Booth started the engine and the car tore out of the driveway at the warehouse. "Hang on Bones, I'm on my way."

Booth heard Brennan's voice grow unsettled, "Booth, Nate's on his way back to the car..."

"You keep me on the line, Bones. Do you understand me? Keep me on the line!" Booth heard Brennan shifting back on her seat and putting the phone down somewhere.

"What's going on...?" Angela said, worried.

He heard the slam on a car door, and a male voice asking Brennan if she was hungry. Brennan declined, but asked for water.

"I need your cell now." Booth barked at Angela. Snatching it off her, he punched in the number for FBI headquarters to get a GPS trace on the cell.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: As always my life has been crazy so sorry for the delay, yet again. Hopefully with all the holidays coming up there will be a lot more time to write :D**

**Enjoy!**

--- -- ---

Hearing his cell ring, Riley scanned the room for the phone.

Finding it on the ancient TV set, he looked down to see a withheld cell number.

"Hello?" Matt asked warily.

"Hey, it's me. Nate. What happened to you taking her before I got there? I was just meant to clean up afterwards man. This isn't cool. I have her with me. She's locked in the car, and I'm getting food... This wasn't the plan! We have rules for a reason..."

"I'm at the house getting it ready for us to move into. She wasn't due to move for another 15mins. That _was_ the plan."

Matt slammed the hammer he was using against the work bench. Took a breath, and sighed loudly. "What the hell do you mean she's locked in the car? Where are you?"

"I, uh, I'm outside that corner store, with that small back lot behind it. It's cool though she's cuffed to the steering wheel. Look man it all happened so quickly. I was walking in, she was there and thought I was there to help, so I played along with it. She caught me out on something and figured it out from there. What do we do from here? She says her FBI partner is probably already on his way." His voice dropped down to a whisper, "He's FBI! I don't wanna go back inside man! I can't!"

Matt started to pace impatiently across the wooden floorboards. "Settle the hell down. Stop freaking out and just focus on what's in front of you. We're ahead of her partner. He's an idiot anyway. You get back to the car, and bring her here." Riley said sternly, "I'll deal with it from there, since I seem to be the only capable one out of the two of us. That's what you're good at, right? Being the one who gets told what to do? No wonder they ratted you out so easily." With that he snapped the cell shut and threw the phone on the couch.

Nate was left on the other end with a dead call. "In front of us... Right..." With dread still sitting on his shoulders, he walked back to the car.

--- -- ---

"I need a cell trace on a call that's still active on my phone. Now!" Booth barked at the operator after identifying himself.

Angela had Booth's cell pressed to her ear. She heard Brennan talking to the guy, asking him different questions about Riley.

"So his name is Nate, what else do we know, Booth?" Angela said covering the mouth piece of the cell.

"That's my next call. Someone to help figure out who he is. I swear if this guy even touches Bones, I am gonna rip him apart." His knuckles white against the steering wheel.

Booth felt a soft hand on his forearm, "She can take care of herself too, don't forget that. She'll get a few sucker punches in there Booth."

He gave her a wry smile, "I know, but that's not really reassuring me at the moment. Thanks for trying Ange."

Angela smiled back and went back to listening on the cell. She heard Brennan shuffling on her seat. "So did you know Matt from prison?"

"No." She heard Nate answer a bit too quickly. Then he paused and added, "Well not really."

"Ok then. Well, you said you've lived here your whole life, but you don't seem to know your way around here that well."

Angela placed her hand over the cell. "Brennan's questioning him on how he and Riley know each other. It's not from the prison so far."

"I wonder if Riley was in prison for the whole time..." Booth's eyes narrowed and a deep frown set in, while he was pondered this.

"Where else would he have been? Other than a mental hospital for being a nut job, I mean." Angela mused.

Booth's eyes widened and sat up a bit straighter, then leaned over and kissed Angela's cheek. "Angela, you are a genius! We need to check to see if he was moved to a mental ward, instead of staying at the prison for the full sentence. He may have cut a deal somehow."

--- -- ---

Brennan shuffled on her seat, trying to make sure Booth could hear their conversation. "Ok then. Well, you said you've lived here your whole life, but you don't seem to know your way around here that well."

"Yeah, well it's been a while since I've been back here." Nate flicked his gaze to Brennan, then back to the road.

"So you don't live here anymore, or haven't in a while. Does anyone know you and Matt are back here?"

"I don't know. They shouldn't yet."

_Yet?_

"Not yet? Is there a timeframe?" Brennan looked at him, confused.

"Of course there's a timeframe! There are always timeframes and rules. Rules for everything." Nate seemed frustrated that she didn't already know this.

"Of course there is. What are the rules for this situation? Has Matt set any specific rules up for us?" Brennan tried to smooth things over.

Nate looked across at Brennan, there was a panicked look on his face. As if he was warring over what he should say next.

He ended up muttering, "There were...There are always rules."

--- -- ---

Hodgins was still at the barn going through everything. He'd already taken bits from the mattress, the chain, and bits of material they had found on the floor.

Hodgins walked over to the desk against the wall and checked the hypodermics that had been left by Riley.. "Hey guys, has anyone found the box that contained these?" He yelled out to the agents still with him.

There were a series of collective grunts in response to his question.

"Thanks guys. Really. Big help." Hodgins yelled back.

"Dr Hodgins, I found a box." A young agent said walking over with the box.

The box was a little smaller than a shoe box. It had labels on it, with the names of the serum that were labelled on the hypodermics.

Hodgins pulled his cell out and dialled Booth's number.

"Dammit, busy."

He dialled Angela's number.

"Hey, why are you answering Ange's cell? Anyway, I know where at least one of them have been recently, there was a box that the hypodermics were kept in with labels on it..."

"Getting to the point..." Booth said sounding annoyed.

"The delivery label on it says, "Griffith's Mental Institute for the Criminally Insane. Which means one of them would have had to have swiped it, before leaving. Or escaping. Or maybe they gave them to the patients there for some test the government are secretly..."

"You are brilliant Hodgins. But I don't want or have time to hear your paranoid, conspiracy theories right now." Booth said hanging up.

"Yeah ok fine. Good job Jack. No problem Booth, it's what I do. Awesome, diner after all this is sorted for pie? Cool, see ya then man." Hodgins commentated to his cell. Looking up from his cell, he realised the agents were watching him, "What? Like you guys haven't ever talked to your cells." He said walking towards the side door.

--- -- ---

"So what has he got planned, Nate? What happens after you drop me off? Does he just keep me there forever, or...?" Brennan decided to push on.

"He has a plan all worked out. You'll find out soon." He said taking a gulp of water.

"Does his plan include you? Will I find out soon, or will we both find out soon?" She said casually, looking out the window. "It doesn't seem like he's included you in on much. Which doesn't seem fair to me, since you seem to be doing all the hard work. Does that seem fair to you?"

_Finally, I can use something after sitting through all those sessions with Sweets._

Nate looked across at her with a slight frown. Then he looked back at the road. His frown deepened.

"I didn't think so.. You know what my partner has told me? He said usually when there's two people involved in a plan, that usually there's always one person that is dominant, that will use the submissive person to their advantage. The dominant will get them to do all the work, so if the plan doesn't work they can blame the submissive person. Anthropology has shown this too. The weak will get used by the person, or persons with more power to better themselves or their community."

Worrying his bottom lip slightly he stuttered, "No, no. He, he wou-wouldn't do that to me. We're partners, we aren't like that."

--- -- ---

"NO! I need this information now. If I don't get it within the next 5 minutes, so help me I will come down there myself... Thank you!" Booth snapped the cell shut. "They're looking into the mental ward now."

"So they're...Hey, the lines gone!" Ange looked at the cell, then placed it against her ear again. "The line cut out Booth!" She waved the cell around, as if getting a signal would make the connection appear again.

"Dammit." Booth was dialling the office again, "Did you get anything from that cell I asked you to trace?"

"Oh, great. So nothing. Fantastic." Booth replied, sarcasm dripping off each word. "Sorry, I know. Thanks. What about the location?" Booth paused for the response and snapped the cell shut. "So they were last on Pasting St, heading west. It was a prepaid cell, so no trace on the owner."

The cell started ringing again. "Booth."

Angela heard someone on the end talking rapidly.

"How was this not on the original file they sent us?" His fingers tapped on the steering wheel, as the other agent was responding. "Right. Thanks." He ended the call and dropped the cell onto his lap..

"Apparently he cut a deal, he had info about the murder his cell mate was involved in. I can't believe that the transfer wasn't on the paperwork they sent over to begin with. They're looking into Nate now. Nathaniel Joel Patterson."

--- -- ---

Looking down at the cell next to her thigh, she realised that the call had ended. She felt a slight flutter of panic start in the pit of her stomach.

_Get it together Brennan! Booth would have gotten at least where we were off the call. Hopefully._

_Breaking him down could be what gets me out of this situation._

"It looks like that's exactly what he's doing actually." Brennan persisted.

He slapped his hands against the steering wheel, "NO! Stop it! You're lying. No more talking!" He pulled the gun out again for effect. "No more. He said you were smart."

Brennan sat quietly for a few minutes, debating on how she should go on from here.

He turned off the main road and onto Violet St.

"But you didn't expect to actually see or converse with me. Now that you have, it's all different isn't it? You wouldn't have gotten me food and water if you didn't care." Her voice was low and calming.

He frowned, his lips set in a grim line.

Then the car took a sharp turn onto a dirt track, which had trees and bush all around it. They drove through the brush, which revealed a huge old run down two storey house.

"Whose place is this?" Brennan questioned, looking around for any markers, anything that would give her a clue as to whose place it was.

Pulling up out the front of the place, she watched as Matt stormed out the front door towards Nate, as he stepped out of the car to meet him.

Nate's whole demeanour changed. She watched as he went from in charge of a situation, to a child-like stance.

They were talking in low voices, she couldn't hear any of it.

Brennan looked at her door, unlocked. She tested the handle to see how much noise it would make.

The door creaked quietly, but to her it sounded like the loudest noise in the world. She looked over at Nate and Matt, still talking.

Her heart pounded as she opened the door enough for her to be able to kick it and run. She took one last glance at them, grabbed the cell, kicked the door open and ran towards the bush.

"HEY! STOP HER!" Matt yelled behind her.

She ran towards the road that they had just come from. She heard a gunshot behind her, and felt the whiz of a bullet just shy of her arm, hit the tree next to her.

_500 more metres, that's all I need. 500 more metres and I'll be on the road._

She heard the pounding of footsteps gaining behind her, and willed her legs to go faster.

_Come on! 400 metres._

Matt grabbed the back of her shirt and yanked her to the ground.

Brennan moaned in frustrated defeat, and fell with a skidding thud, her hands thrown out in front of her to break her fall.

She tried to get up to her hands and knees to at least kick him, but she felt herself being yanked back up to her feet and the cold nozzle of a handgun being pressed against her side.

"You try that again and the next bullet won't miss. I promise you that Tempe." He growled into her ear, as he pushed her towards the house.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hi all, sorry I know it's been forever since I updated. As always my life is hectic. This is the last chapter so hope you enjoyed!**

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Brennan went compliantly enough when he had the gun pressed to her side. Even though every part of her body was itching for her to lash out and run, she still remembered that it was always the best course of action to let him think he had the upper hand.

She stumbled slightly on loose gravel accidentally, and he lowered the gun for a moment to grab a firmer hold of her. Then as if he didn't have that gun's cold nose pushed against her skin, Matt started talking to her about the house, how much she was going to love it. "I got it ready for us, Bones. We're going to be so happy…"

At that moment, with the frantic note beneath the enthusiasm in his tone, she knew he was going to kill her, because she would die trying to escape before living here willingly.

Nate had made his way over to them by this stage, he started talking to Riley. "Seriously Matt, I don't think we should be doing this, her partner is FBI…"

Matt sighed, "Yeah, but we're a step ahead man. I've already told you, stop worrying..."

Looking down at the lowered gun, Brennan saw her opportunity, pretended to stumble again, but made sure her foot was out in front of Matt and tripped him over. As soon as his hands let go of their grip on her, she turned to run again.

With her heart pounding, she screamed for help, staggering towards the road again.

She'd only taken 2 or 3 steps before an arm went around her waist like a hook in a fish's mouth, reeling her back in. She kicked and fought against him, screaming the whole time. As Matt tried to get a hold of both of her arms, she managed to elbow him in the face.

Nate punched her hard in the stomach, winding her.

Matt turned her around and whispered, "You really shouldn't have done that", before she saw the butt of his hand gun coming at her face.

For a split second she thought her head would explode, then the world went black.

--- -- ---

"Patterson lived here, right. Right, okay. So who lived here that they knew? Well get the information NOW!" Booth closed the cell and dropped it onto the glass tabletop.

He started pacing the conference room. Picked up the cell and dialled the lab. "Cam, do we have anything yet?"

"Yeah, Hodgins found some bark that on the floor of the barn. He thinks it was on Riley's shoes, so it may be at the place they moved Dr Brennan to. He brought back with him and narrowed it down to an Australian eucalyptus tree. There aren't meant to be any in that area. They have been brought over to America, but not in that area. You'll be able to smell the difference in the leaves if you're near the kidnappers' place. By the way, Angela said she isn't happy you sent her back with Hodgins."

"Thanks Cam." Cell dropped onto the glass table again. "Hey, Officer Cameron, are there any Eucalyptus trees around here?"

Cameron looked up from his computer. "Eucalyptus? They're the ones that have those really bad smelling leaves, right? Yeah, there is one actually. On Violet St. It's in front of an old abandoned house. No one has lived there in years, though."

Booth's adrenalin started kicking in as instinct and experience told him they were close. "Check who owns the property."

"A Neville Barker. He died about five years back. Left it to his sister, but she hightailed it outta here after the funeral. Never did get round to selling it."

"They could be using it, since it's abandoned." His hands trembling with excitement and the usual chilling fear that he'd be one second too late, Booth dialled the FBI office. "It's Booth. Check if either Patterson or Riley's mother's maiden name was Barker. Okay, how about cousins or aunts? No, I won't wait for a call back. I want the info now." Booth started pacing the conference room, waiting for the information. "A cousin? Jade Barker? Thanks."

Another officer ran into the room. "Agent Booth, we have a caller stating there has been screams for help on Violet St. The problem is that it's a known area for people making a ruckus."

Booth turned to Cameron, "It's them. I know it. What number is the house?"

"10582. Do you want any backup, Sir?" Cameron asked hopefully, as Booth passed him on his way out of the conference room.

"Yep, you're coming. Call the FBI agents over at the barn, tell them to meet me there now." He yelled over his shoulder, as he ran out the office.

--- -- ---

Brennan prepared for the pain she knew would course through her head, as soon as she opened her eyes.

Cracking one open she let her eye adjust to the light in the room. She slowly opened the other. Like an oily rag lit up, she felt a headache spread like wildfire from her right temple, to the base of her skull.

She raised a hand to her head to feel the damage.

It's only a bit of a cut. _I'll survive. Let's get onto getting out of here Brennan._

She sat up, her stomach muscles protesting to the movement.

She looked around. It looked like a teenager's room. She was on a double bed, with an over abundance of pillows with ruffle. She looked down at the sheets which were red and black. She looked around the room and saw a stereo on the shelves. A stack of Nancy Drew books were on the shelves. Some stuffed bears. A big wooden double dresser sat against the far wall. It had little knick knacks on it. An intricately detailed silver mirror, hung above it.

There were a few posters on the walls. There were posters of older boy bands, she now cringed at the thought of them. A poster from the movie Babe as tacked onto the back of the door. Posters of things she used to like when she was a girl.

The whole room, the bed, colours, the stuffed bears, the posters, everything reminded her of things she used to want…when she was a teenager. Things she used to tell Matt she wanted in her dream room.

He had made her the fantasy room she had always wanted - when she was with him.

Something tugged at her, a feeling fluttered in her chest. Even though Brennan despised him now, the teenager she used to be was still inside her somewhere and _she_ felt a pang of... what? Sweetness? Regret? Somehow, she actually felt... touched, by this. He'd cared enough about her back then to hang onto what she had told him, for all these years…

She shook her head. That _girl _felt touched by Matt's caring. That girl was needy and emotional. That girl no longer exists.

_You are not like that anymore, snap out of it!_

She looked around the room, with her head throbbing, and took in the exits. There were two doors and three windows.

Placing her feet softly on the floor, she hoped the floorboards wouldn't creak too loudly.

She padded over to one of the windows and saw it was bolted down with nails. Looking over at the others she realized they were all bolted down.

She tested it anyway. Hoping that the bolts might be old and snap under pressure, Brennan put all her weight behind pushing the window up. It groaned against the bolts, but wouldn't budge.

Tiptoeing over to the first door, Brennan tested the handle, it turned the full way and she pulled the door towards her, but it didn't move.

_Damn it, locked from the outside. Yeah, this is some dream house Matt._

Heading over to the other door, a floor board creaked loudly under her step. Her heart started pounding in her chest, as she listened for any response to the noise.

After standing completely still for what felt like an hour, she took a tentative step towards the second door. Then another when no more creaks sounded.

Reaching the door, Brennan let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

Testing the handle, a rush of excitement ran through her as the door slid across without a sound.

She was surprised to find that this was a bathroom, when she peeked through the opened door.

Again, this seemed like it was also set up for her, as a teenager. It was a blue theme, a blue bathroom mat, blue accessories, even the skirting boards that framed the white tiles.

A deep blue coloured bath, with a dark purple bath pillow. A few fluffy white towels hung from a towel rack.

Seeing this made her realise that he had no plans of ever letting her go.

The cold pang of fear started coiling in her stomach. _He'll kill me before letting me out of here._

She took a few steps to the next door.

Listening for any noises from the other side, she grabbed the handle and slid the door across again silently.

It was adjoining bedroom. She looked around at the relatively bare space, compared to the one she had just been in.

Two windows neither of which looked bolted down.

One other door, to the hallway, she assumed. A double bed, that looked pretty old and very well used, she noted from the sag on one side of the bed.

An old dresser, with the drawers all askew, and the side panel looking like it would fall off at any second.

Taking a tentative step into the room towards the window, she waited for the giveaway sound, a creak in the floor. When it didn't come, she walked, one step at a time, toward the windows, her heart about to jump out of her throat, with each step

There were bolts in these windows, but they looked decrepit, with orange rust all over them. Positioning her hands on the top, she pushed hard. The window groaned against the pushing. She pushed again, as one of the bolts squealed as it started to move its position. She grabbed the bolt and tried to pull it out completely.

Waggling the bolt to loosen it, she held her breath as the bolt came a quarter of the way out. Brennan started to pull at the bolt more frantically, when she heard a few heavy steps and creaks of what she assumed were stairs heading up toward the rooms.

Shredding some of the skin off her thumb and forefinger, the bolt finally came loose.

With her heart in her throat, she grabbed the window holds, and pushed at the window with all of her strength.

It held its place, groaning against the pushing.

Brennan let go and hit the top of the window with both palms to try and loosen the hold.

"Come on!" She whispered harshly, as she pushed at the window again.

Answering her with a few creaks, she pushed again, and the window slowly came up.

_It was coming…just a few more seconds! _Grabbing the bottom of the window she pushed it up to give her enough room to slither out.

As she heard a knock and Matt's voice ask her if he could come in and a creak of the door opening, she dived head first out of the window. Bracing her hands at the sides of the window, she pushed herself halfway out.

Hearing Matt walking on the tiles of the bathroom floor, sweetly asking her where she was, she placed her hands on the roof tiles below her, to brace herself.

Feeling a tugging at her side, she felt her heart sink, until realized her shirt had snagged on a nail on the inside of the window. The shirt shred, as she yanked her shirt free.

She'd managed to get her hips out of the window, when she heard a low chuckle and two cold hands grip her ankles.

Her whole body went rigid and cold with fear for a few seconds, then she started to thrash and kick against the pulling, as much as she could in the space between the window and window sill.

"Stop fighting me, Bones." Riley grunted, trying to gain control of Brennan's legs. "We're inevitable, you know we are. Why are you fighting this?"

Brennan ignored the pain of the window sill grating against her hips, and tried to squirm to get more leverage to get one of her legs free.

Kicking out, she felt her foot make contact with Riley's ribs, and heard his groan and rushed intake of breath.

She pushed herself out of the window fully, twisted and pulled her legs out, hitting her ankle on the way out. Crouching on the slanted roof tiles she slid down a bit make sure Matt couldn't grab her.

She heard Riley cursing and trying to push the window up further. Judging by the space she just slid out of, she didn't think he'd be able to make it through, unless he managed to get the window up another 2 inches or so.

Brennan looked for somewhere to help her down. Looking down she judged that if she jumped, depending on the angle she landed on, she may fracture an ankle.

_This can go two ways Brennan, jump and take your chances, or wait for something else and hope one of them don't come onto the roof to drag you back in._

She stopped and listened. She heard nothing from inside the house. Cold silence answered. No one was trying to get out of a window, no sounds of anyone running through the house.

All she heard was the wind flowing through the trees, the leaves rustling. She smelt eucalyptus.

_Why can't I hear Matt or Nate? Where are they? _

She took a few tentative steps down to the gutter rails. She couldn't see Nate or Matt down there. The yard was blessedly empty.

_You need to jump Temperance. You need to get out of here. Just do it!_ Biting her lower lip, she pushed the flutter of fear aside and prepared for the jump.

Then she heard it. The wail of a police siren. It was heading toward her, getting louder and louder. It was her freedom.

At that moment, it was the most beautiful sound she'd ever heard.

Hearing the screech of tires turning into the street, she took a deep breath and jumped off the roof.

Hitting the ground like a cat, she balanced herself with her hands.

Hearing a deep throated chuckle, she turned to see Matt sitting on the front patio. "Do we have to play this running game again? It's just going to go the same way as last time."

Hearing the car and siren coming up the street, she asked "You don't think that's my partner right now coming for me?"

Mat slowly stood, his smirk didn't waiver. "Nope, this is a known area for causing problems. Screams and yelling are pretty much ignored. They're probably heading up the road."

She turned and ran towards the road.

"NATE! She's coming your way!" Matt yelled.

Her adrenalin kicked in, as she saw Booth's black SUV turn into the dirt road leading to the house.

Nate came out in front of her, his stance ready to subdue her.

Brennan ran straight at him, her right shoulder making contact with his chest. She heard the bones pop out of place, but felt no pain. At that moment all she felt was the adrenalin to escape.

Nate stumbled back, but got a fistful of her shirt and tugged her back, as she tried to bypass him.

She twisted, and thrust her left palm up towards Nate's face. She felt a sickening crunch of bones shatter in his nose and the warm wetness of blood seep onto her palm.

He threw his hands up to cover his nose, looked down at the blood, then threw himself at her.

--- -- ---

Booth screeched out of the police car park with all sirens blaring, with Cameron, and headed towards Violet St.

"Ok, so head down the main road and take the third right." Cameron directed.

"I'm gonna kick this guys ass. He's hurt Bones, I already know that." He said around grating his teeth against each other. "She's gonna have given him a good beating too, she won't have taken anything lying down."

Taking the third street at the same speed, Cameron felt the car go up on two wheels.

"Agent Booth, I know you're... anxious... about your partner, but getting us in an accident on the way over probably isn't the best way to get to her." Cameron said carefully.

Booth glanced over at Cameron, as if he was an annoying bug, "You just stick to the directions, I don't need help driving. What's the next street?"

Shaking his head, Cameron looked out of the windshield. "Cole Street. Violet Street is the second street on the left off Cole."

"Bones will be fine. She'll be fine and we'll be fine." Booth said to himself.

"I didn't know the bureau was okay with partner relationships."

"Partner relationships? What the hell are you talking about?" Booth said, sounding irritated that Cameron still seemed to be there.

"You said 'we'll be fine'. I just assumed that you and Dr Brennan were together, as in a couple."

"She's my partner. You worry about your partner when they've been kidnapped by ex-boyfriends who were put in prison for murdering people. We have a normal partner relationship. I don't get where people keep getting the idea we're together from." Booth said shaking his head and frowning.

Turning onto Cole St, Cameron held onto the arm rest, hoping the car would stay on the road.

He let go of the hand hold, and the breath he had been holding, as the two tires on the right hand side made contact the road again.

"It's the one just coming up."

Cameron looked over at Booth, whose hands were white on the steering wheel, as they turned into Violet St.

"It's the dirt driveway that's coming up on the right."

"Bones!" Booth yelled, as a feeling of cold fear for his partner coiled around his heart, as he saw his her running towards them.

Cameron looked up ahead, and noticed a guy sitting on the porch of the house, as Booth slammed on the brakes.

Booth saw Brennan running towards a guy standing between her and him.

He felt some pride, as he watched her slam into him with her shoulder, then twisted back and punched him in the face.

He looked stunned for a second, then jumped at her. The fear dissipated, and was quickly replaced with a deep setting rage running through his veins, as he watched the guy throw her to the ground.

The car came to a stop, gravel spraying everywhere under the tires.

Booth was out of the car and running, with his gun cocked, towards his partner.

Cameron was out of the car, with his gun cocked too. He looked around for the guy he saw on the porch. He was no longer there.

Brennan was under the guy, Booth noticed that her right arm was laying limp against her, but her left arm came around to elbow him in the face. Then she managed to knee him in the groin and push him off her.

Booth came up to them, his gun trained on the guy. "Don't you move an inch. Don't give me any reason, more than I already have to shoot you. Cameron! Come over and watch this guy"

As Cameron came up, Booth bent down to Brennan, who was trying to get herself up into a sitting position. "I'm fine Booth, really. Although, I think my shoulder may be dislocated." She was wincing in pain with every movement.

The rage had eased a little now that he had Bones next to him again.

He lifted her up gently, slipping his arm under her and around her waist, wary of her right shoulder.

"I knew it was you coming." She said, throwing her good arm around him and resting her head against his shoulder, as he helped her into a sitting position. Pulling back and looking at him, "Booth, Matt's still here somewhere."

"I know. Cameron and I will go and find him. You will be staying in the car."

"No, I'm fine! I'm coming to get him." She argued, as he lifted her up and pushed her towards the car.

"Bones, we need someone here to make sure Patterson doesn't get away." Booth tried to persuade, opening the car door.

"Just cuff him and throw him in the back. I can kick him one more time for good measure if you don't think he'll stay." She said, heading towards Nate.

Booth grabbed her good arm and tugged her back. "Bones, you will stay here or I swear to God I will hurt you myself."

She frowned disappointedly, then pouted like a child and leaned her back against the car. "Fine."

Cameron had cuffed Patterson and shoved him into the back of the SUV, Booth could heard him whimpering in pain.

"Let's go Cameron." He went to leave, then turned back to Brennan, "Stay," then headed towards the house.

Running towards the house he took in the surroundings. There were a lot of places Riley could hide out here.

--- -- ---

Brennan watched Booth head towards the house. A new fear for her partner had overridden then annoyance she had felt, at being told she had to stay with Nate.

Pain started to radiate from her shoulder. She looked over at Nate, who was still whimpering in the back.

"I told you he would come. You should have listened to me." She said matter-of-factly to Nate.

He continued whimpering like a child.

Looking back towards Booth, she focused on the noises coming from inside the house.

She heard them yell, "Clear!", as they entered each room.

Then she saw him. Her adrenalin started to kick in again.

Matt was in the brush at the front of the house. He was coming towards her, the car between them. His focus seemed to be at the house.

She crouched down and snuck to the back of the car, hoping he hadn't seen her. Her pounding heart, the only thing she could hear.

Keeping as quiet as she could, she peeked around the side of the car and saw the nose of a gun trained on her head.

Her heart sunk as she looked up to see his evil smirk. "I already told you years ago, if I can't have you, no one can."

He grabbed her by her bad arm and yanked her to her feet.

Brennan screamed in pain, as she felt her shoulder socket move.

He tugged her towards the drivers' side of the car, opening the door, he realized the keys weren't in the ignition.

"Do you think...Booth is... that stupid?" She said between gasps of pain.

Matt sneered and pulled on her bad arm again. "I have another car. Nate can fend for himself."

Pulling her towards the road, she managed to scream "Booth! He's out...", before he covered her mouth.

She squirmed and struggled against Matt's grip, and bit into the fleshy part of his palm.

He howled, and lashed out at her, letting go of her arm.

Working on auto, Brennan elbowed him in the face, then kicked him in the side, hoping to break a rib.

He grunted and doubled over.

"I told you, I am not something for someone to own." She spat down at him. "Booth! Out here!"

Looking back towards the house, she saw Booth running towards them.

"You are..." He whispered, as he grabbed her and put her in front of him, as a shield, putting the nose of the gun to her temple.

She whimpered as he twisted her bad arm behind her back, to keep her still.

Booth's heart pounded in his chest as he saw Riley grab Brennan. A rage started running in his veins, firstly at himself for not checking the area properly. Then it turned towards Riley, as he heard Brennan whimper in pain.

"What are you gonna do now _Agent_ Booth?" He said sarcasm dripping off his words. "I'll kill her before I let her go again."

"You wouldn't get the chance before I put this bullet in your head. That much I promise you." He said without hesitation, his eyes trained on Brennan.

"He's a trained sniper, Matt. He will kill you. He's not bluffing." Brennan said trying to keep her trembling legs completely still, waiting for the shot she knew was coming.

"Don't do this to her Riley. Hasn't Temperance been through enough?" Booth said trying to appeal to the side that loved Brennan.

He saw a waver in Riley's stance. "She will be happier with me. We belong together." He said, the harsh look in his eyes back.

"Doesn't Temperance get a say in that? I don't think she wants to be here. I think she wants to be home, in DC. Bones, what do you want?" Booth said taking a step towards them.

"I want to be at home. Matt, please let me go home." She pleaded, her voice quivering.

A sadness seemed to sweep Riley's face, then a hardened mask came back up. "No! Stop trying to twist her thoughts! She will be happy here! She loves me!" He pushed the gun harder against her temple.

"NO! I don't love you anymore! I was a stupid impressionable girl when I did love you. That girl isn't alive anymore. The woman I am today would never love a person like you!" She said, her strength back.

"Right, you're too good for me now, is that it? Or is it the fact that there's something going on with your partner? That's it isn't it!" He yelled shaking her.

_He's going to shoot me. Booth, please. _Brennan looked over at Booth as he took aim at Riley's head, "I trust you."

Riley cocked the gun. It was the loudest noise she had heard in her life. She closed her eyes.

The gun sounded, and she waited for the pain.

Trembling, she stood there for what seemed an eternity, then opened her eyes.

Booth was standing in front of her, his gun still aimed. His arms were shaking with the effort of holding the gun still for so long.

She slowly turned and looked down at Matt's lifeless form on the road. A steady stream of red, flowing from a black hole, that seemed just slightly off centre, on his forehead.

A small sob bubbled up her throat and escaped her lips. She felt a mixture of sadness for the man who had lived his life based on a relationship with her that had died so many years ago, and relief that he was finally gone.

She turned back to Booth, and took the few steps between them. Put her hand on the top of the gun, and lowered it.

"Booth," she said quietly, "Booth?" She put her hand on his cheek.

"Booth!" She said more firmly. "It's okay!"

He looked down at her and dropped the gun. "That was one of the first times I second guessed my abilities at aiming." He said throwing his arms around her, hugging her tightly. "If you hadn't said that you trusted me, I'm not sure I could have done it."

"You would have, and you would have shot him." She said hugging him back, with one arm.

He pulled himself back and looked down at her, "I can't believe I came that close to losing you." She looked like she was trying to figure out if there was a different meaning. He cleared his throat and stiffly laughed, "I can't break in a new partner. You can't be replaced, I mean who else knows all that bone stuff?"

"There are others who have my sort of abilities, Booth. Admittedly not as smart as me, but still." She stated matter of factly.

"Let's go home Bones." He said as the FBI cars turned into the street.


End file.
